Hotel accommodations are usually the most expensive part of a holiday. Unless you have to pay for expensive airfare, the cost of the hotel you stay at is probably going to make up the bulk of your travel budget. Simply settling on the going rates, though, is foolhardy. There are plenty of really great strategies for finding incredible deals on hotels – if you’re willing to look. No matter what city in the world you may be traveling to, you can secure a cheap hotel if you know how to go about it. Below, we take a look at some of the best strategies for booking a cheap hotel.

Stay On The Outskirts Of Town

In some cities it may not be practical, but many times being willing to stay on the outskirts of town – by the airport, for instance – can shave a significant amount of money off the cost of your hotel stay. While you’ll have to find your way over to the central part of the city each day, in most cases the fare to get you there will still amount to a lot less than that pricey hotel. Be flexible and be willing to stay in a less touristy spot, and you can save a bundle on your hotel stay.

Visit During The Off-Season

If you’re willing to visit a destination during a less-than-popular time of year, you’ll be able to enjoy much lower hotel rates. Although this is fairly common knowledge, it’s surprising how many people completely refuse to visit a place simply because it’s not the prime season to do so. Unless your trip demands excellent weather – as a beach holiday would – there’s really no harm in coming when less-than-perfect weather is afoot. Simply bring along a slicker, a heavy coat or whatever you’ll need – and enjoy incredibly cheap hotels.

Sign Up For Travel Newsletters or Emails

Travel newsletters and emails are another really good source of securing cheap hotels. If you have a favorite hotel chain, for example, you could visit their website to see if they have an email service that alerts you to exceptional deals. Many popular travel websites offer this service, too, sometimes by region or destination. Instead of hunting down the deals, you can have them come right to your desktop. Of course, you’ll have to be willing to be a bit flexible – and spontaneous, in case those deals only pop up at the last minute.

Call Direct

Sometimes, you have your heart set on a particular hotel in a certain city – but the going rate is simply too high. It never hurts to pick up the phone and talk to a live person at the hotel in question, though. Although there’s no guarantee, every now and then you’ll find that the reservation staff at a hotel has a bit of flexibility and can extend a special offer to you. Hotels want to book as many rooms as possible, so if the agent sees that they still have unbooked rooms he might be willing to shave a bit off the rate for you.

Compare – And Book – Online

Finally, we come to the best and easiest way to find cheap hotels – the Internet. Without question, the Internet has transformed the way that hotels do business – and the way that people shop for travel deals. There are dozens of great websites where you can compare and contrast the cost of booking a hotel stay; you can try different configurations, too, to see how much it would cost to stay during one time of year as opposed to another.

Usually, hotels offer their most competitive rates online. You’ll be able to enjoy rock-bottom prices simply by making your reservation on the Internet. It’s a simple, convenient way to save money – and it doesn’t involve any extra legwork on your end. If you haven’t already looked around for hotels online, it’s about time you started. Look around until you find a site that you’re comfortable with, then use it to book all of your future stays. Instead of dreading planning a trip, you’ll be excited knowing that it isn’t going to be a complicated process.